Always you have been told that work is a curse and labour a misfortune. But I say to you that when you work you fulfil a part of earth’s furthest dream, assigned to you when that dream was born, And in keeping yourself with labour you are in truth loving life, And to love life through labor is to be intimate with life’s inmost secret.
—Kahlil Gibran (1883–1931) Lebanese-American Philosopher, Poet, Sculptor
Let’s pray that the human race never escapes from Earth to spread its iniquity elsewhere.
—C. S. Lewis (1898–1963) Irish-British Academic, Author, Literary Scholar
Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is symbolic as well as actual beauty in the migration of the birds, the ebb and flow of the tides, the folded bud ready for the spring. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature – the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after the winter.
—Rachel Carson (1907–64) American Naturalist, Science Writer
If we do not permit the earth to produce beauty and joy, it will in the end not produce food, either.
—Joseph Wood Krutch (1893–1970) American Writer, Critic, Naturalist
Where is the dust that has not been alive?—The spade and the plough disturb our ancestors.—From human mold we reap our daily bread.
—Edward Young (1683–1765) English Poet
The earth, that is nature’s mother, is her tomb.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
Every Victim requires a Persecutor. But the Persecutor isn’t always necessarily a person. The Persecutor could also be a condition or a circumstance. A persecuting condition might be a disease or a heart attack, or an injury. A persecuting circumstance could be a natural disaster, like a hurricane or an earthquake or a house burning down.
—David Emerald
The care of the Earth is our most ancient and most worthy, and after all our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it and to foster its renewal is our only hope.
—Wendell Berry (b.1934) American Poet, Novelist, Environmentalist
Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.
—Muhammad Ali (1942–2016) American Sportsperson
There is enough in the world for everyone’s need, but not enough for everyone’s greed.
—Frank Buchman (1878–1961) American Evangelist
Whenever there are in any country uncultivated lands and unemployed poor, it is clear that the laws of property have been so far extended as to violate natural right. The earth is given as a common stock for man to labor and live on. The small landowners are the most precious part of a state.
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) American Head of State, Lawyer
The best investment on earth is earth.
—Louis J. Glickman (1905–99) American Real Estate Investor
Earth, thou great footstool of our God, who reigns on high; thou fruitful source of all our raiment, life, and food; our house, our parent, and our nurse.
—Isaac Watts (1674–1748) English Hymn writer
The earth is what we all have in common.
—Wendell Berry (b.1934) American Poet, Novelist, Environmentalist
God gives us dreams a size too big so that we can grow in them.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need, but not every man’s greed.
—Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869–1948) Indian Hindu Political leader
There is enough for all. The earth is a generous mother; she will provide in plentiful abundance food for all her children if they will but cultivate her soil in justice and in peace.
—William Bourke Cockran (1854–1923) Irish-American Politician
Earth laughs in flowers.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Every walk to the woods is a religious rite, every bath in the stream is a saving ordinance. Communion service is at all hours, and the bread and wine are from the heart and marrow of Mother Earth.
—John Burroughs (1837–1921) American Naturalist, Writer
As long as the Earth can make a spring every year, I can. As long as the Earth can flower and produce nurturing fruit, I can, because I’m the Earth. I won’t give up until the Earth gives up.
—Alice Walker (b.1944) American Novelist, Activist
The world is so empty if one thinks only of mountains, rivers and cities; but to know someone here and there who thinks and feels with us, and though distant, is close to us in spirit – this makes the earth for us an inhabited garden.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
I have no patience for those who say that poverty is a blessing. Poverty is the greatest curse on earth.
—Roger McDonald (b.1941) Australian Novelist, Poet, Screenwriter
When your heart becomes the grave of your secrets, that desire of yours will be gained more quickly. The prophet said that anyone who keeps secret his inmost thought will soon attain the object of his desire. When seeds are buried in the earth, their inward secrets become the flourishing garden.
—Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi (1207–73) Persian Muslim Mystic
Heaven lent you a soul Earth will lend a grave.
—Christian Nestell Bovee (1820–1904) American Writer, Aphorist
Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.
—W. W. Ziege
In practice, a global approach is needed when dealing with the problems of the spaceship earth which affect all of mankind. But local solutions, inevitably conditioned by local interests, are required for the problems peculiar to each human settlement.
—Rene Dubos (1901–82) French Microbiologist, Environmentalist
I can find only three kinds of business in the universe: mine, yours and God’s. Much of our stress comes from mentally living out of our business. When I think, “You need to get a job, I want you to be happy, you should be on time, you need to take better care of yourself,” I am in your business. When I’m worried about earthquakes, floods, war, or when I will die, I am in God’s business. If I am mentally in your business or in God’s business, the effect is separation.
—Byron Katie (b.1942) American Speaker, Author
The more you struggle to live, the less you live. Give up the notion that you must be sure of what you are doing. Instead, surrender to what is real within you, for that alone is sure. As stars high above earth, you are above everything distressing. But you must awaken to it. Wake up!
—Baruch Spinoza (1632–77) Dutch Philosopher, Theologian
The earth belongs to the living, not to the dead.
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) American Head of State, Lawyer
The earth’s a stage which God and nature do with actors fill.
—Thomas Heywood (1570–1641) English Dramatist, Actor
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